Steam-trap.



No.720,701. v 1 PATENTED'FEB .17,1903.

F. D. KOEHLER & T." WJMONAHAN.

' STEAM TRAP.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 18, 1900.

N0 MODEL.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FREDRICK D. KOEHLER AND THOMAS W. MONAHAN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

STEAM -T RA P.

llECIFTCATIQN forming part of Letters Patent No. 720,701, dated February 17, 1903. Application filed July 13. 1900. semi no. 24,048. (No model.)

To (I/ZZ whmn it may concern:

Be it known that we, FREDRICK D. KOEH- LER and THOMAS W. MONAHAN, citizens of the United States, residing in the borough of Richmond, New York city,State'ofNeW York,

have jointly invented a new and usefulImprovement in Steam-Traps, of which the following is a specitication.

Our inventionrelates to steam-traps adapted to return water of condensation from the pipes of the system to the boiler or generator. It may also be used as a gravity-pump.

The object of our invention is to providea simple inexpensive mechanism offew parts which will not easily get outof order, which is positive and certain in operation, which is free from packed" joints or stuffing-boxes, which requires nolubrication, and which will operate, if necessary, in a chamber or pit liable to be filled with refuse-water.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of the trap on line 1 1 of Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a vertical section on line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. is a horizontal sectional view of one end, showing the valve connections in part. Fig. 4 is a view of the seat of the threeport valve, showing the ports. Fig.. 5 is a view of the rocking valve looking outward.

Referring to the drawings, A is the main chamber of the trap, with the two flanges a and a, adapted to receive the caps or heads B B, which are secured thereto by screwbolts 0. The joints should be ground or made tight in any desired way.

From the top of chamberAthe pipedleads to the radiators or steam-pipes of the system from which it is desired to take the water of condensation, or the vpipe 01 may lead to a receiver in which the water of condensation collects. In the pipe 61 is the check-valve e, which is closed by preponderance of pressure in the chamber A and opened bypreponderance of pressure on the other side of the valve. From the bottom of the chamber Athe pipe f leads directly to the boiler. It is provided with the check-valve g, which is closed by pressure toward the chamber A and opened by excess of pressure in the chamber A.

In the center of the cap B is journaled the shaft h, which extends through the cap B and carries the valve t', which will be described hereinafter. Fixed upon the shaft h are the L', which is adjustably's'ecured in the slots m by the bolts n. ..The stops 0 0 limit the rocking movement of the bucket is on the shaft h, as described hereinafter.

The capxB is provided'w ith three small ports, terminating in the smooth valve-seat p, which forms a part of the valve '5. The port q leads from the valve t' to a pipe r, connected directly with the boiler. The port 3 leads from the valve 1 to the atmosphere. The port 1- leads from the. valve 1' to the top of the chamber A. y The valve 2' is fixed on the shaft h and rocks therewith. It has two ducts to and u. The duct u is adapted to connect the port q with the port 15, thus affording communication between the pipe 7', leadingtothe boiler, and the top of the chamber A. The duct to is adapted to connect the port 8 with the port t, thus affording communication between the top of the chamber A and the atmosphere. The capo. is tightly secured on the cap or head B, as shown, or

that it can be readily removed and renewed.

The operation of the device is as follows: The trap should be located three or four feet above the surface of the water-level of the boiler. To startthe automatic operation of the trap, 21. valve (not shown) in piper is first closed, shutting ofi boiler-pressure from the trap. A valve (not shown).in pipe 01 is also closed. The cook 00 is opened. Water is poured through funnel yto fill the bucket 70. The cock as is then shut, the funnel y removed and a plug (notshown) screwedtightlyin its place, and the valves (not shown) in pipes 01 and r reopened. The weight of the bucket and water therein is greater than the counterweight Z. The shaft h thereforerocks on its journals until the bucket contacts with the stop 0. The position of the valve 7; is now such that communication from the chamber A to the atmosphere is open through the port If, the duct to, and the port 3. This allows the water of condensation to flow either under the influence of gravity or pressure through the pipe 01 and check-valve 6 into the chamber A. The excess of boiler-pressure over atmospheric pressure keeps the check-valve g closed. The water flows into the chamber A, its buoyancy lessening the efiect of the bucket and water therein until the counterweight overbalances the same. The shaft h then rocks (until the bucket 70 contacts with stop 0) and with it the valve t, first shutting off communication with the atmosphere and then opening communica tion between the top of the chamber A and (through port 15, duct to, and port q) pipe 7'. The direct boiler-pressure in chamberA now closes the check-valve e. As both pipe 1' and pipe f connect directly with the boiler, the pressure in the top of chamber A becomes equal to that in pipe f. The weight of the water in chamber A overbalances the pressure and opens the check-valve g, allowing the water to flow-directly by gravity from chamber A to the boiler. As the water recedes from chamber A the bucket 70 is again lowered, rocking the shaft h and shifting the valve t'. This first shuts 01f the boiler-pressure from the pipe r and then opens communication with the atmosphere, allowing checkvalve 6 to open again, and the operation will be repeated automatically and indefinitely. The two extreme positions of the bucket is and counterweight Z are shown by dotted linesin Fig. 2. By using a funnel y smaller than the opening in the T-joint the air from chamber A will escape through said opening when the bucket is being filled. The cock as may thus be dispensed with. In large-size traps we may employ a weight attached to the top of the bucket or to an arm extending upward from the shaft h. This weight when vertically above the shaft will be inefiective; but as it passes that position in either direction it will quicken the rocking of the shaft and prevent centering of the valve 2' in a position where neither of its ducts communicate from the port 6. The

lubricant.

free from dirt. capes from the valve 11 into the cap 12 the steam-pressure on both sides of the valvez' is equalized, partially balancing the valve t', which is held to its seat by the spring-plate 20.

Our invention is not limited to the precise arrangement shown for rocking the valve 2'. In place of the open bucket lo we might employ a closed vessel. The counterweight might be dispensed with, the only essential being that the water is allowed to fill the chamber to a considerable depth before the shaft h and valve t' thereon are rocked by the buoyancy of the apparatus fixed to the shaft.

What we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a steam-trap, a single chamber, a bucket and counterweight therein adapted to be rocked on their shaft by changes in the level of the water in said chamber outside said bucket and a three-port rocking valve carried on said shaft, substantially as shown and described.

2. In a steam-trap, a single chamber, a shaft carrying a bucket rocked by changes in the level of the water in said chamber outside said bucket and a three-port rocking valve controlled by the rocking of said shaft, substantially as shown and described.

3. In asteam-trap, a chamber, and a bucket and rock-shaft therein, said shaft carryinga single rocking control-valve having ducts u and u coacting with the ports q, s and i, substantially as shown and described.

4. In asteam-trap, abucket, counterweight and control-valve i, all carried on and rocking with the same shaft, said control-valve 71 having the ducts u, a coacting with the ports q, s and t of the valve-seat 19, substantially as shown and described.

5. A steam-trap, consisting of a single stationary chamber, having connections with the pipes of the system, the boiler and the atmosphere and a rock-shaft carrying a bucket, counterweight and control-valve which rock with said shaft, said control-valve having the ducts u, a which coact with the ports q, s and tof the valve-seat, substantially as shown and described.

FREDRIOK D. KOEHLER. THOMAS W. MONAI-IAN.

Witnesses:

JOSEPH A. STE'rsoN, HARRY R. SAMUELLS.

As the steam from pipe f'es- 

